The Thread
by Spooky tree
Summary: the warrior thinks of her from time to time and wonders, If she dose the same. (Completed one-shot)


**Authors note: **

I Love Mortal Kombat, and was so excited when I downloaded the Classic arcade collection on my ps3. It sure did bring back fond child hood memories of crazing button mashing and times of frustration when I couldn't perform a fatality( more often then not ending up doing something wimpy like punching my opponents in the face) so when i was playing MK3 and getting my butt kicked by Sub-Zero,(my least favorite opponent he's so hard to beat I think) I got inspired to write this quick one shot. Its About Kuia-Liang and his apprentice named Soah. This fanfic of course is rated mature, due to violence and racy content through out the story, however i don't think they are so explicit but just wanted to let anyone who dosen't approve in advance. but anyways, i hope enjoy this one-shot and happy holidays:)

**Disclaimer:** I Don't own MK and it Character.

* * *

**The thread**

* * *

What would you give me if I were to win? The older man had asked teasingly with a dark smirk; on his handsome but weathered face. A smirk that he still wore as he ever so gently brushed his cold lips against her sweaty brow.

Soah bit down on her bottom lip hard; but try as she could, she couldn't keep the soft moan that ghosted through her bruised lips earning her a thick chuckle against the shell of her pink ear as his thick calloused hands explored her warm soft body knowingly.

She was just an apprentice, a young green leaf, an orphan raised in a small temple that sheltered and housed warriors, vagabonds and travelers of all kind, a place where she had developed at the tender age of nine the insatiable hunger to learn all there was to know about martial arts, or "beating people up" as she so simply put it.

The light or dark arts she didn't care what form, she just wanted to learn. She had ignored the cautious word of her elders, when on the fall if her twentieth year she first laid her dark eyes on the man called Sub-zero. Soah watched as he ate quietly in the corner of the temple, isolating himself from her and the other souls that sat across from him laughing and eating of the fresh fruit that would soon be dried into tough tangy strips to tie the temple over for the upcoming winter months.

No stranger that crossed the temple was ever tuned down, from a meal and a warm bed that was the way it had always been. Or at least Soah thought, remembering the first time she had attentively approached the rough looking warrior, and waited until he lifted his empty wooden cup so she could refill it with cool fresh water from the pitcher she was holding. She noticed his thumb; squared and wide no softness to them whatsoever tense up as a lone droplet fell on it, even if it looked as if he wore a mask of peace his body still remained sharp and focused to strike if needed…. "Amazing," she had accidently breathed out, loud enough that it had garnered a steely gaze from the man's icy blue eyes.

Soah Blushed despite herself as she bowed to him apologetically and went back to the other guest, her stomach did light flip flops when she heard a chuckle behind her and relaxed at its light hearted quality. He was quiet, and looked a bit intimidating with a large scar that ran down the side of his face, but he caused no trouble in fact, he seemed like he was just as content to be left alone, he seemed kind enough, so why did her master hesitate to let this man in when he removed the hood from the brown cloak he was wearing. She watched a bit surprised when her tall proud elder gulped visibly and whispered to another fellow elder before begrudgingly raising a trembling hand, motioning for Sub-Zero to enter, pulling Soah painfully to the side with them (she had stupidly continued to stand in front of Sub- Zero, with mouth agape in awe as if she discovered the meaning of life.)

Without hesitation Sub-Zero continued forward, his eyes fixated straight ahead as if in a trance not even paying mind to the three and the other inhabitants of the temple who shuffled away from him fearfully like frightened children, it seemed he was very well known; but to what extent did his powers reach? Soah's eyes closed tightly when her body trembled against her mind's wishes, snapping her out of her reverie. She moved her head to the side resting her cheek against the course fabric of the pillow she was lying on, giving him access to her neck. His soft wet tongue racked against the thin red scratch he had given her when she had adequately dodged one of his ice attacks.

Which to be honest if he actually where trying, there would be no doubt that Soah would of lost her life earlier that day, and the large puddle of blood that now soaked into the dry earth a few miles up the road from the small hut they were in would belong to her and not of the young assassin they had encountered earlier. Sub-Zero was merely toying with her, trying to frighten her into humble submissiveness, and tame the arrogance she had sadly acquired during the ten months they had been traveling together.

He was the master and she a pesky child who persistently pushed and prodded him begging him to take her as an apprentice, even going so far as to forsake the very place that housed and peacefully nurtured her, just to follow him. Soah whimpered as he thrusted against her bare hips sharply as he irritably thought of how she stood in between him and that sorry excuse of an assassin as he coward in fear behind her. She dare challenge him?! Just to protect that insect?!

He opened his eyes and looked down at her small face, her cheeks bloomed a brilliant red; and she lifted a small chapped hand to stifle another moan, as the tightness of her inexperienced body finally adjusted to him. He grabbed her hand away from her mouth and laced it with his; shivering when he felt her lips brush against his ear as he lowered himself to her to hear her softly call out his name.

"Kuai-Liang,"

A name he had almost forgotten, after many, many years of solitude. That name had now become his waterloo, for it rolled so sweetly off her tongue, the same tongue that he now devoured possessively, as he lifted both her arms above her head, stopping only to notice that they were covered with countless of mottled bruises, some had almost faded into a sickly green and brown color but most of them stretched large and oppressively on her olive skin.

Kuai-Liang felt a pang guilt when he remembered Soah, trying to block his swift hard punches as she protected the assassin who looked no older then eighteen, yelling at him to run and save himself before turning back and receiving a jaw breaking punch to her jaw sending her flying face first into the ground, dirt erupting under her; she coughed and looked up at Kuai-Liang blinked back the pinprick of tears that threatened to emerge from the painful assault.

Tears wouldn't move this man, the sub-zero that now loomed in front of her was now lost in a sea of rage, his eyes glowing an unearthly blue as he raised his hands to strike her down with an ice dagger that materialized in his hand. Soah pitched to the side quickly just in time to miss the dagger that sunk in to the ground and threw the dagger she had around her waist at him, which he easily deflected as if it were a feather by encompassing his hand in an thick icy shield.

Soah's training had paid off, she rose shakily up and readjusted her stance; and gave him a half-hearted smile, her teeth stained red from the blood she had paused to spite out from her abused mouth motioning him to continue. Sub-Zero watched her coolly, regarding her with an almost childlike amusement she had become strong, but not strong enough he noticed that when she arose she shook her head briskly most likely trying to overcome the dizziness that one without skill would experience.

"What would you give me if I were to win?" He had asked her quietly.

"My life," Soah barked "you may have my life to do with what you wish of it, for I will not allow you to kill someone who is defenseless." And with that Soah made a dash for him, managing to give him a good kick in the stomach.

"So be it," he hissed as he raised his hand to strike.

The two fought long and hard, placing well placed kicks and punches on each other, Sub-Zero however had the upper hand; for his supernatural attacks. For Soah was not of Lin Kuie, and would never attain the power of ice, no matter how much she desired it, she was just a simple woman.

Her tired legs buckled from fatigue as she watched her master, run swiftly towards her; his strong hand flexed and clenched open like talons from a hawk and a galaxy of ice and air in compassed it, Soah closed her eyes and held her head high as he moved in for the kill the final thing that crossed her mind were the words that the stoic warrior had once told her as they sat before a fire during the rare occasions he would open up to the her.

"Always remember, never allow your opponent to see the fear in your eyes. If ever you leave this world during battle, it is better to die with the satisfaction of knowing that your enemy will forever curse you because you did not reveal any weakness at the thought of your own mortality."

All of this seemed so ironic, she thought bitterly, as she tried to keep down the grizzly curiosity of how it would feel to die at the hands of a man like Sub-Zero her head encompassed by ice. That's where he was aiming right? She tensed when she felt the bite of cold on her neck; and the air whistling in her ear from the shear force. Her blood went cold when she heard an inhuman shriek, and a sickening crunch. Soah's eyes flew open, and jumped despite her, when glowing blue eyes met hers. Sub-Zero's face was so close to Soah's, so close that she could smell the metallic scent of blood that stained his once clean clothes.

She looked behind her when she heard a pained groan, and screamed when she saw the young assassin and how deeply Sub-Zero had sunk his fingers into his skull; so deep that the boy's eyes rolled back so far she could see only white. Sub-Zero's face as emotionless as a sheet of paper clenched his fingers harder, causing the boy to drop the dagger that he planned on striking Soah with when her guard was down.

"Kuai-Liang," she finally spoke the name that the assassin had addressed him so confidently. "You've won," she croaked her throat suddenly feeling dry. "Spare him, please….he's trembling." She shivered abit herself as she tried to reason with not a man but a demon.

"Save your pity," the boy finally spoke. "I was a fool, a fool for being frightened, but now I know I die bravely; and with the satisfaction of leaving you a message," he paused and swallowed down hard. "A message that will surely grab your attention," Resting his chin on Soah's shoulder. The boy spoke, each sentence coming out in labored breaths. "Bi-Han is alive," Sub-Zero's eyes went wide, and his body visibly tensed. "He is waiting for you behind a shroud of darkness," he swallowed again, "waiting to kill you, without a moment's hesitation," So Shou-Khan sends me this message which I have now relayed to you, I…"

Those were the last words the boy spoke before Sub-zero, froze only his head, and plucked it clean off his body as if it were a berry. Soah stood there planted on the ground her legs would not move, no matter how much her mind screamed and commanded them to. She could feel the boy's blood drip freely on her shirt as Sub-Zero shoved the boys head in her face.

"This child, is _this_ what you want to learn?" he growled menacingly at her, as he shock the head furiously at Soah when she didn't stir, she only stared at it, her eyes beginning to glaze over with tears, making Kuai-Liang snap. He roared furiously, as he tossed the head over a nearby ledge and looked down broodingly into the darkness, an icy aura still shifting around his body wildly, from the torrent of emotions that were waging war inside him.

Soah took a few steps back; he was lost at the present time. And wasn't sure exactly what he'd do if she were to approach him. Soah rubbed her sore arms and remembered she had stumbled upon the abandoned hut they had passed by earlier situated near a small lovely creek. She was weak and tired, and the cautious words of her elders came to mind when she saw Sub-zero's hands clenching tightly.

The fun was over; the childish fantasy of learning how to fight was now replaced by this horror show, she had to get away. Wordlessly she took her things, taking great emphasis in leaving his on the ground and snuck away to the sanctity of the hut which she thought he hadn't noticed, the path that lead to it was covered by thick shrubbery making it almost invisible.

He did in the end find her, and took her, kissing her forcibly as he yanked her out of the spring she was bathing in and pulled her into his arms, Soah's body slackened allowing him to take reign over her, she allowed him to carry her into the hut the two shared together that night. He reveled in her warmth as he rested her head against her chest exhausted, his body that was usually cold now adapted to her body temperature well. He wasn't a stranger to intimate contact, but as he gazed down at Soah who was now fast asleep, he gazed down at a girl that helped him to forget only if it were only for a moment, the thought of blood and revenge, a side of him that under no circumstances could ever be stamped out by simple emotions such as love and desire.

She brought out the bad side of him, she was a hindrance.

* * *

The next morning Kuai-Liang left her, still asleep in bed. The glowing embers of the dying fire shone against her smooth shoulder as he drank in her form one last time before finally closing the door. She would get by easily enough; he had left her money, an ample amount that would no doubt give her passage on the merchant boat a few hours from here, back to the temple where she belonged. And also he left her a letter, trying to make it a vague as possible…

_**Things have gotten dangerous, went ahead without you….**_

He paused when he was about to put the characters that spelled Sub-zero, before blotting it out and replacing it with Kuai-Liang.

He wondered what she would do when she found the letter, would she sigh with relief having survived a brush with death. Would she hate him, for leaving her without consideration humiliated and devoid of womanly honor? Or would she wait for him? Wait eagerly until he was finished with his quest and was freed of the shackle of vengeance.

He decided he would wait, and ask her that himself one day, after all of this was over. Next to finding out that Bi-Han was still alive he could use Soah as another incentive to help him get out of this alive and in one piece.

He needed it; Kuai-Liang grimaced when he remembered the assassin's final words.

"**He is waiting for you behind a shroud of darkness**,"

Kuai-Laing's jaw tightened, as he noticed dark clouds looming across the horizon, and had the niggling feeling that these clouds were no ordinary clouds, but where the product of Shao-khan's, goading all who dared to challenge him.

A challenge, which the warrior Sub-Zero was defiantly up for…


End file.
